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NEHA Update on Hurricane Harvey

We are collectively sobered by Hurricane Harvey: the scope of the devastation, loss of property and particularly the loss of life. The sudden, epic and life-threatening nature of disasters are a grim reminder of the importance of our mission.

I want you to know that NEHA is communicating with leadership in relevant federal agencies, and with our Texas colleagues. Our offers of assistance have been graciously acknowledged by the leadership of those agencies through email messages and phone calls. Our aim is to provide assistance as defined and requested by those on the ground. We will keep you apprised as we learn how we can be helpful.

I draw your attention to this month’s (September 2017) Journal of Environmental Health, where the lead article is dedicated to environmental disasters. Our guest column is written by Dr. Renee Funk, who has new duties as the Hurricane Harvey incident manager for CDC. We are not prescient. But as a profession, we are trained to be prepared, and to think ahead, to mitigate the potential impact of disasters to our environmental health.